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Bloom celebrating Valley women

Off the air

Winter 2015

Mar tha Woodroof shares her struggles, successes

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Making A Difference In Our Community “With your oral health being an integral part of your total well being, Dr Hall together with Dr. Dean are committed to making a difference in serving their patient’s needs.”

David C. Hall, DDS and Curtis G. Dean, DDS

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INSIDE BLOOM

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With just one word Christina Kunkle shows how applying a concept based on a Japanese principle can spark big change through small, steady increments.

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From Martha Central

Host of “The Spark ” and “Small Blessings” author talks changes necessary in journey of life. your KITCHEN

your FITNESS

A local take on the nationwide lack of female executive chefs.

Take small, realistic steps to meet goals in the new year.

page 5 your CAREER

your KIDS

Lady coders find fellowship through Girl Develop It.

Spend a day in the life of a 10-year-old American woman.

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ello, ladies! We’ve kissed 2014 goodbye, rung in 2015 and with it comes the winter issue of Bloom.

The new year also holds the promise of a fresh start, something I eagerly anticipate. If you’re one of millions of Americans to make a new year’s resolution, one staff writer and a favorite columnist offer advice on keeping yourself motivated throughout the year (“Set goals you can stick with,” page 12; “Just one word,” page 15).

Although the kitchen is traditionally viewed as women’s domain, that age-old belief doesn’t necessarily translate to the professional world.

With just a handful of executive chef roles nationwide filled by women, Harrisonburg’s culinary elite weigh the reasons why (“Carving out a place in the kitchen,” page 5).

Another group aims to bring women back to the forefront in the world of computer science (“Lady coders ‘develop it’ themselves,” page 8).

It’s the efforts of such female restauranteurs

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Winter 2015

Nature’s way Sarah Featherstone opens up about the struggles she and her son faced during her early months of motherhood.

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and computer code writers, along with a host of others, that propel future generations toward incredible opportunities — ones that the girls of today will someday seize. Inspired by an article she read, one writer offers readers a glimpse into the mind of one of those young ladies (“An American woman: age 10,” page 22).

Our cover girl, beloved radio host and author Martha Woodroof, may have traveled a winding road to get where she is today, but she appreciates the changes it sparked (“Blessings — big and small,” page 16).

As the Bloom staff, we count ourselves lucky to share a new set of stories with you this winter.

So, grab a cup of something warm and settle in to enjoy this issue.

Thanks for reading and, as always, keep blooming!

Kate Kersey Editor

B l o o m St a f f Kate Kersey, editor

Amelia Brust, staff writer Cat Elsby, freelance writer Matt Gonzales, staff writer Katie King, staff writer Hannah Pitstick, staff writer

Kim Roberson, account executive Bloom is a publication of Rockingham Publishing Co., Inc. Copyright © 2015 Rockingham Publishing Co., Inc. 231 S. Liberty St. Harrisonburg, VA 22801 For advertising information, contact Kim Roberson at 574-6224 or kroberson@dnronline.com.

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your KITCHEN

ARTICLE BY CAT ELSBY PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIKKI FOX

espite the age-old

belief that women

own the kitchen, the Shenandoah Valley’s

restaurant industry is proving what the rest of the country has already noticed: A female executive chef is hard to find.

Carving out a place in the

Kitchen

Women hold the head chef role in just 6.3 percent of 160 head chef positions across the U.S. analyzed by Bloomberg. Though the restaurants employ women as pastry chefs, managers, servers, hostesses and even owners, the head chef position seemingly belongs to men.

Harrisonburg proves the trend true.

Mark Newsome, executive chef at Joshua Wilton House, does not know of any female head chefs at fine dining establishments in the Friendly City.

Newsome says the city’s lack of female chefs may be due to its size: “There are some great executive female chefs across the country and across the world, but in our microcosm you just don’t see it.”

Despite the lack of head chefs who are women, Newsome notes a strong female presence is still felt in the restaurant industry.

Rachel Herr, pastry chef at Local Chop & Grill House, is one of those females who hold a high position in a fine dining establishment. Yet Herr says multiple factors make a head chef spot a less than ideal position for her, personally.

“I’m not sure why there are so few women head chefs in Harrisonburg and across the country, but the figure of 6-7 percent female head chefs in prominent restaurants is staggering,” she said.

“Personally, I have no desire to be a head chef due to the hours and the stress level it demands.”

The hours seem to play a huge part in why women shy away

Mark Newsome calls Amanda Cannon, co-owner of Food.Bar.Food, (above) a role model in the restaurant industry and foresees there being more lady owners in the industry, following her footsteps, which may lead to more female chefs being hired, as well.

from the role: “I feel incredibly fortunate to be called a chef but to also have my evenings off — this is rare,” admitted Herr.

She added that some women may be unsure as to how to have a family as a head chef due to long, strenuous hours. This concern is likely widespread, as many restaurants don’t offer adequate maternity leave.

Under the U.S. Family and Medical Leave Act, men or women should be guaranteed up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave, although it may be unpaid.

Some restaurants provide paid eave, such as the Momofuku group of restaurants across the country, which guarantees four paid weeks of FMLA. But juggling the after effects of birth and the long hours of being a head chef may prove to be too difficult for some women.

For those who are worried about balancing family life and work, Herr suggests simply talking to their bosses and being willing to compromise.

“I encourage [women] to figure out a schedule that could allow for both, ask for it, and then work hard and be as efficient and creative as possible,” said Herr.

“Let a boss tell you ‘no,’ don’t tell yourself ‘no’ prematurely without asking and trying for exactly what you want, because they might just say ‘yes.’ ” Another prominent pastry chef to come out of Harrisonburg

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“

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Being intimidated is

part of life, but the ratios will never shift without

is Christina Tosi. Tosi is the chef and owner of David Chang’s Momofuku Milk Bar, which Bon Appetit called “one of the most exciting bakeries in the country,” and which is on the list of Restaurant Magazine’s Top 100 Restaurants in the World.

Tosi worked at Calhoun’s when it was open in Harrisonburg, says Newsome.

Amanda Cannon is another woman of importance when it comes to food in Harrisonburg. Cannon, coowner of Food.Bar.Food, worked for Newsome and moved up the industry ladder from working in the front of the restaurant, to becoming a catering manager, to being hired by Local Chop & Grill House as general manager.

Now, as the owner of a popular new restaurant, Newsome says Cannon is a female role model in the restaurant industry — as evidenced by her spot on the Shenandoah

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“

some bravery.

Valley Business Journal’s 10 under 40.

Newsome said that he foresees there being a lot more female owners in the industry, following the footsteps of Cannon and Donna Finnigan, owner of Finnigan’s Cove in Harrisonburg. He added that such an increase may also lead to more female chefs being hired.

“We will see more female owners and women in power positions who will be hiring chefs,” explained Newsome.

“Once we get more own-

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ers that are female, there’s a chance they might have already connected to females that are already chef-driven and might focus on getting them in and on board.”

Moving up the ladder as Cannon did is the best way to earn a high-ranking position in the industry, according to Newsome. He suggests that before a prospective chefs of any gender enter culinary school, they should get in and work at whatever level they can in any restaurant.

Culinary school, as with any school at the college level, can be a financial burden and Newsome said that most owners and chefs are looking for experience, which can sometimes trump a degree.

Herr’s background in cooking proves that Newsome’s theory is correct. Though Herr is a successful pastry

chef at one of Harrisonburg’s top restaurants, she has no formal training.

“I definitely wasn’t a kid who wanted to grow up to be a chef, but after college I found myself wanting to be in my kitchen rather than in front of my computer doing my graphic design job,” Herr explained.

Her path to baking has proven extremely successful, and she encourages women to break into the food industry no matter how intimidated they are by gender inequalities. “[They] should hike up [their] bootstraps and go for it,” said Herr. “Being intimidated is a part of life, but the ratios will never shift without some bravery.”

Cat is a chef-in-training, hoping to establish herself as a prominent female cook. However, she loves food, no matter which gender prepares it.

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your C AREER

ARTICLE BY AMELIA BRUST PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON LENHART

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ast year marked the 30th anniversary of the personal computer and, simultaneously, the beginning of women’s decline in computer science degrees. Their representation in bachelor’s programs climbed from nearly 14 percent in 1971 to its peak of 37 percent in 1984.

But as the National Center for Education Statistics found, by 2011 women accounted for less than 18 percent of individuals earning bachelor’s degrees in computer science.

Feeling disheartened by the trend, Ann Lewis decided to create the Central Virginia chapter of Girl Develop It, a national organization designed to teach women about computer coding.

Lewis wanted to share her 11 years of experience and passion for computer sci-

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ence with women in the Harrisonburg area, launching the chapter in August 2014.

“I thought it was great,” chapter member Rebecca Field, a James Madison University mathematics professor, said of the first meeting.

She claims to have possessed the “absolute minimum knowledge you could possibly have for it.”

While Lewis, 33, was in college, women earned between 27 and 28 percent of computer science bachelor’s degrees, higher than today.

Field pointed out that some STEM degrees, such as physics, biology and mathematics, are more than 50 percent women, according to the NCES. “I realized that over the last 10 or 12 years, the graduation rates are lower than when I started,” she said.

Lewis entered Carnegie Mel-

lon University for computer science in 1999, around the time that the school’s program was the subject of an eye-opening study.

Jane Margolis, a researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles found personal computers meant serious repercussions for women’s computer science participation.

Talking with Carnegie Mellon students revealed

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This gave them an edge, Margolis writes in her findings: “Women in Computer Sciences: Closing the Gender Gap in Higher Education.” “[Female student] computer science numbers have been just dropping … This

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is a serious issue,” Field said during a study group held at Greenberry’s Coffee on South High Street.

During her nearly five years living in Harrisonburg, the Gettysburg, Pa.-native managed to tap into the city’s tech community at Rosetta Stone and Pedago, an Arlington-based web design firm for which she is director of engineering.

Field saw the chance to bring together “many great, smart women” inside and outside that network.

“I’d been aware of Girl Develop It for the last couple years,” Field said.

“It’s an organization I had personally respected from afar.”

The organization boasts 33 chapters internationally.

She was approved to establish a chapter in July and launched a Meetup.com page, which lists 65 members, known as “nerdettes,” to date.

The first gathering was held in September at the Bizy offices off Court Square. Since then, monthly classes have been held to teach members about coding.

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The chapter is based in Harrisonburg, but members have met in Staunton and Charlottesville, as well.

Registration costs vary by lesson and Lewis finds people to donate their space for class time, but everyone must supply their own computer and any necessary applications, such as Adobe Suite.

Low-cost classes and community building are the guiding principles of the group, Lewis said.

The chapter uses two types of sessions: classes that focus on specific coding skills and study groups, which are less structured and offer nerdettes a chance to work on their individual projects.

During classes, Lewis likes to alternate between lectures and independent work time.

Girl Develop It is designed for programmers of all skill levels and brings women into a group environment to create individual ideas.

“All the programming that I’ve been paid to do was collaborative,” Lewis said inside her office in the Court

Square Theater building, a space inhabited by multiple small tech offices. “I always find it surprising that pop culture portrays it as isolating.”

Lewis wanted a large mix of people in the group, and she ended up with veteran programmers, as well as computer science rookies looking to learn a new skill.

Some wanted career changes, one woman wanted to revamp her church website, and another hoped to launch a fansite for the “Parks and Recreation” character Ron Swanson.

“The diversity of backgrounds was really interesting,” Lewis says.

The first two classes focused on HTML and CSS, two coding languages that make up the building blocks of computer programs.

Lewis teaches using lesson plans prepared by Girl Develop It. She draws some support from teaching assistants, such as Ilse Ackerman.

The two women met at Rosetta Stone and Ackerman, a research analyst for Upworthy.com, also wanted to make her own web tool.

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During a study group session, Ackerman worked on her program with Lewis next to her, in case she needed assistance.

“It will help me do online research … more efficiently,” explained Ackerman, who focuses on corporate responsibility.

Teaching assistant Stephanie Layman, a software engineer at Rosetta Stone, observed some of the biggest challenges for group members in the editing process of their code.

“I was surprised by the things that people found difficult because it’s stuff that I’ve known for a long time,” she said during the study group. When it came to formatting code, she said typographical errors were common.

“You kind of have to know the rules, and it’s easy to get wrong.”

“There’s always a reason why something goes wrong. When you’re just starting, you don’t know where to look for the reason but your computer’s telling you,” Lewis explained.

While the group is open to anyone, Lewis warns members that in order to

stay on course with lessons, participants should already be familiar with certain computer features related to the classes.

With her schedule filling up, Lewis is on the lookout for more teaching assistants this spring. It would also free up her time to add networking events to the group’s calendar.

She posted on the chapter’s Meetup.com page about a tech diversity book club in Charlottesville, which met Jan. 13 at Maternity Neighborhood to discuss Margolis’ work “Unlocking the Club House: Women in Computing.”

If members can gain contacts in the industry, Lewis hopes the women might learn how to break into computer science careers that do not require a specific degree.

“There’s way more computer jobs than there are people to fill them,” Lewis said.

The field is one in which men and women make on average the same salary, according to the American Association of University Women’s report “Graduating to a Pay Gap: The Earn-

ings of Women and Men One Year after College Graduation.”

The chapter’s 2015 curriculum will focus on JavaScript and Wordpress, with meet-ups at the Harrisonburg Rosetta Stone offices and study groups in Charlottesville.

Girl Develop It also offers lessons for programs including Python coding language, mobile app development or the open-source app Ruby on Rails.

Girl Develop It requires that members be at least 18 years old, but Lewis said her group’s age range is 30-50.

Regardless of their age, Lewis was surprised by the willingness of nerdettes to help one another in their projects.

“I think that really builds confidence,” she said.

For more information about Girl Develop It Central Virginia, visit meetup.com/Girl-Develop-It-CentralVA/.

Amelia has always admired people who create through code, and realizes — with a little help — she can be one of them.

The Central Virginia chapter of Girl Develop it, a computer coding group for women, launched in August 2014.

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ARTICLE BY MATT GONZALES PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON LENHART

“

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I told myself if I did not do it [then], I wouldn’t ever do it. ...

Whenever I said I couldn’t do something [a trainer] said I could.

It’s been very motivational.

“

Area experts say to see results,

Set goals you can stick with 12

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hat’s your New Year’s resolution?

For many, the answer involves tennis shoes, treadmills and a whole lot of sweat.

Each January, gyms, fitness centers and studios fill to the brim with adults of all ages looking to get in shape and shed some unwanted pounds as a way to form new habits for the New Year.

The trend isn’t uncommon.

Each year, 45 percent of Americans set some sort of New Year’s resolution. According to statisticbrain.com, “lose weight” is the most popular resolution among Americans, ranking ahead of “quit smoking,” “fall in love” and “live life to the fullest.”

In fact, of the estimated 44 percent of adults who seek to lose weight as part of New Year’s resolutions, approximately 47 percent are women. As a result, gym memberships and fitness activities skyrocket at the beginning of every new year.

“We definitely see a big rise in our gym membership at the beginning of the year,” said John Vought, personal trainer at Planet Fitness in Harrisonburg. “I think people are guilty after Christmas dinner and want to get back in the gym and create healthier habits.”

However, not all of these individuals reach their goals — not even close. According to a study conducted by Harris Interactive, 73 percent of those who set a fitness-related resolution give up before achieving it. Some say their given diet or workout program is too difficult to sustain, while others claim it is too hard to get back on track after venturing away from routine for a while.

Some simply say their schedules do not lend themselves to such dedication.

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For some, New Year’s resolutions often involve working out — as Suzanne Riddleberger of Dayton (OPPOSITE) and the women above do. To succeed in meeting those goals, some recommend setting short-term ones.

First-hand account

For the longest time, Harrisonburg resident Heather Mills fell into the latter category. Mills, 38, admits to struggling with weight for most of her life.

For years, she convinced herself she would eventually get a gym membership, and put forth the effort to get in shape. That commitment, however, always landed on the back burner.

“I often put everything else in my life before myself, and health was not a main factor,” said Mills, a math instructor at Broadway High School. “By doing that, I allowed myself to get out of shape.”

By 2011, she reached a breaking point. Not only was she out of shape, but she hit her highest weight. A routine visit to the doctor brought the issues to a head, when Mills learned she on the verge of pre-diabetes.

Discontent with the status quo, Mills signed up for a gym membership at Harrisonburg 24/7 Family Fitness in summer 2011. She says, “I told

myself if I did not do it [then], I wouldn’t ever do it.”

Despite some initial ambivalence, Mills hit the gym three to five times a week, spending half of that time with a personal trainer. Her workout routines consisted of cardio-intensive drills and core workouts, as well as weightlifting, in order to build muscle and burn fat.

Measured quantities of both cardio drills and weightlifting are important when attempting to lose weight, says Vought.

“A big misconception I see a lot with people is [weight loss] just comes from cardio,” he said. “It’s actually a good dose of cardio and weightlifting, because you’re adding muscle to the body and burning calories.”

After several months, the intensity level of Mills’ workouts increased: She began running a bit longer, lifting a little more weight, and voluntarily signing up for additional cardio-heavy classes, such as Zumba and step-aerobics.

Less than three years later, her time in the gym has paid

off: Mills now weighs more than 100 pounds less than she did in 2011 and her blood pressure decreased drastically.

“It wasn’t easy,” she admitted. “And once school got busy, my schedule got hectic and I wanted to give up, but I just kept with it.”

Importance of short-term goals

A catalyst for Mills’ lifestyle change was setting several short-term goals, rather than one, unrealistic long-term goal. Those more easily attainable goals included tweaking her eating habits, as well as gradually incorporating new activities into her workout regimen.

One summer, for instance, she set out to lose 30 pounds in 12 weeks, which, she says, was realistically achievable and not an overwhelming goal, especially being two years into her routine.

Losing weight incrementally over shorter periods of time is encouraged, she says.

Focusing on dropping five to

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As Vought adamantly maintains, personal training sessions help individuals hold themselves accountable for a longer period of time. People stay at the gym longer than usual when working with a personal trainer, he says.

Mills, who recalls being quite intimidated and overwhelmed when she first began her journey, said the interaction with her trainer helped ease that initial transition.

“Whenever I said I couldn’t do something, [a personal trainer] said I could,” she recalls. “It’s been very motivational.”

Though maintaining a routine, especially early in the process, is critical to creating sustainable habits, Obaugh offers a caveat for aspiring gym rats: Working out is only half the battle. People must focus on their lifestyle outside of the gym, specifically their eating habits.

Mills attributes healthier meals — adding chicken and fish to her diet while cutting gluten and processed foods —

Annually, 45 percent of Americans set a New Year’s resolution — “lose weight” is a popular one, ranking ahead of “quit smoking” and “fall in love.”

10 pounds a month, for instance, is a good way to approach weight loss, rather than trying to chase a much larger number, notes Vought.

“Some people set unrealistic goals in terms of time,” he said. “People try to get the pounds off that first month, but it isn’t going to happen overnight.”

Brandon Obaugh, manager at Harrisonburg 24/7 Family Fitness, says it may take four to six weeks to really begin to see changes in your body. However, if you dedicate yourself and commit to the routines, he says, the results will take shape.

“It’s about making [exercise] a habit, rather than a chore,” added Vought.

In order to develop these habits, Mills sat down with a personal trainer that first week, in order to discuss goals and set up a regimen. A personal trainer will take into consideration a person’s age, height and overall health to create an effective plan for the individual.

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in addition to regularly working out, with her reaching the 12-week goal set last summer.

She feels the overall results of her journey, thus far, have been satisfying.

Instead of dreading the gym, she now views it as a vehicle for relieving anxiety.

An hour of exercise allows Mills to clear her mind and focus on the workout.

“Oftentimes, I leave the gym less stressed then when I entered, I’m more relaxed and have a refreshed attitude,” she says.

The smaller clothes, newfound energy levels and increased sense of selfconfidence are rewarding aspects of her journey, as well. She also gained a wealth of knowledge and a new perspective on life throughout the past few years, and even recently jogged her first 5K nonstop.

Mills encourages those who wish to lose weight or get in shape to make the commitment, even if it requires sacrifices.

“Just like with anything else in life, you have to make time for working out,” she says. “Otherwise, it will not happen.”

Matt aims to cut down on the fast food runs ... soon.

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Just one word

T

COLUMN BY CHRISTINA KUNKLE

Can wield unbelieveable power

“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.”

— Chinese Proverb

hink back to the last time you set a huge personal or professional goal.

What happened next?

If you’re like many of us can-do high achievers, you likely jumped the gun in a passionate dash toward the end result without creating a plan to keep you on track. Maybe you pushed to sustain a sprinter’s pace without taking time to rest or refuel, and crashed before crossing the finish line.

Sound familiar? I’ve been there, too.

Thankfully, after years of setting lofty goals — only to fail at reaching them — I discovered a simple technique that helped me make and sustain positive change.

It’s the “Just one thing” concept, based on the Japanese principle of kaizen or “good change.” According to kaizen, big changes come in continuous small, steady increments over time.

Being a perfectionist by nature only led me down the path of burn out, so I welcomed this nonjudgmental way to achieve success with less struggle and strain.

By cultivating fresh appreciation for each moment, and chunking big goals down into small, simple actions forward, I gratefully — and slowly — learned to bypass the “fight-or-flight” brain chemicals that trigger panic and self-sabotage.

And I haven’t looked back since.

These days, my goal-setting begins and ends with grace, self-compassion and a strong desire for excellence — because perfect is way overrated.

Integrating this concept has led me to amazing mentors and many of the practical tools for resilience that I freely share in my coaching practice.

Now, in place of overwhelming resolutions, I choose just one word to

guide me each year, and suggest that you do the same.

In 2012, it was “transformation”; 2013 was “impact,” and 2014’s was “wholehearted.” This year, it’s “becoming,” because actually achieving my goals is not as important to me now as who I will become in the process.

So, how can you apply this philosophy to your own goals?

What is just one thing that could take you closer to a meaningful goal, starting today? For example: Yoga stretches.

Gratitude journaling. Organizing closets.

Making an overdue appointment.

This anonymous poem called “The Value Of One” serves as a wakeup call, showing that every moment counts and every second matters: To know the value of one year, ask a student who failed the grades.

To know the value of one month, ask the mother who gave birth to a premature baby.

To know the value of one week, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

To know the value of one day, ask the daily wage earner who has to feed kids.

To know the value of one hour, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To know the value of one minute, ask the man who missed the train.

To know the value of one second, ask the person who just won silver at the Olympics!

We have only one wild and precious life. Today is a gift, and tomorrow is not promised.

So, ask small questions, think small thoughts, take small actions, solve small problems and celebrate small moments.

Because it’s great to dream big, but those dreams come true one baby step at a time.

Christina Kunkle is founder of Synergy Life and Wellness Coaching LLC. Visit synergylifeandwellnesscoaching.com.

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Martha Woodroof counts her

Blessings â&#x20AC;&#x201D; big and small â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

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ARTICLE BY KATIE KING PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLLY MARCUS

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artha Woodroof can’t seem to go anywhere in Harrisonburg without being

recognized. Just seconds after the 67-year-old breezes through the double doors at a downtown café, a waitress with pink tresses calls out her name and two customers in the corner come up to give her a hug.

After 15 years in the Valley, Martha explains once seated, it’s hard to go anywhere without bumping into friends.

If the self-proclaimed “former gypsy” misses her lost anonymity, she’s not letting on. With an excited smile, she greets everyone warmly, asking how they’ve been and listening to their answers. When she inquires about a piece of jewelry, a ring on the server’s hand, she’s less interested in the store it’s from than the story behind it — who gave it to you, she wants to know, and why is it important to you?

Though Martha jokes that she’s nosy, her questions rarely seem to come off that way.

She’s no petty gossip: She’s just endlessly intrigued by the world around her.

“I find people fascinating,” she reveals.

Though as a college drop-out she’s never been able fall back on a degree to boost her credentials, judging from her success as a radio host and, more recently, as an author, it appears these innate traits — the enthusiasm, the kindness, the genuine curiosity — have more than sufficed.

From Martha Central

Though Martha’s résumé is replete with different professional identities, she’s perhaps best known in the area for her work with 90.7 FM WMRA, and on a chilly weekday in early January, that’s exactly where she can be found.

Holed up inside her cozy office — which she’s dubbed Martha Central — Martha repeatedly plays a tape from her most recent interview for her show “The Spark,” listening closely and making sound edits as needed.

The Spark, which explores the hobbies and passions of locals, is actually Martha’s brainchild.

“I’ve long has this theory [that anytime] anybody’s talking about what they love, it’s going to be interesting to listen to,” she explains, adding that her theory has yet to be proven wrong.

Since Martha recently retired from

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WMRA — she’s now a part-time employee — The Spark has been shortened from a full-length program to a 10minute segment, but that doesn’t mean Martha brushes it off.

Motioning to her cluttered desk, littered with notes, books and bottles of tea, Martha insists she isn’t generally an obsessive person, but that she’s “meticulous” when it comes to her work.

Sound editing, she explains, is a bit of a balancing act. Some lulls in the interview need to be removed, but the guest’s authentic voice must always be preserved.

Her devotion to the The Spark has clearly paid off: In 2014, readers voted Martha their favorite radio personality in the Daily News Record and Rocktown Weekly’s Best of the Valley. In 2013, she tied with WVSA’s Jim Britt.

Explaining that listeners have an inner “radar” that detects when a host is being insincere, Matt Bingay, assistant general manager of programming at WMRA, says he believes Martha’s popularity is due to her ability to be authentic, even on the air.

“She was always herself,” he remarked. “A lot of times, when you’re [working in the] media, especially broadcast media, I think a lot of people fall into the trap of creating a persona.

Martha never fell into that trap.”

The fact that Martha genuinely enjoys her job can’t hurt either.

“I love public radio,” she gushes. “It gives you time to tell a story and it’s not driven by the need to sell advertising. It assumes listeners want to think and be challenged.”

Growing up in North Carolina

It doesn’t take long to figure out why Martha loves to make others think.

Her mother, Ruth Hege, was an English professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and, as a child, Martha remembers lying next to her older sister in the den, listening as their mom read aloud.

“She read Dickens to us, she read Shakespeare. … She just loved words, she loved the power of language,” she recalls.

Her father, Jim Hege, a WWII veteran and an executive at a men’s underwear company, was equally intellectual.

Both her parents, she explains, valued reading and critical thinking, and encouraged their two children to be independent thinkers.

Recalling how the couple loved to host

I believe that an awful lot of people would rather stay unhappy than change.

To change involves getting out of your comfort zone, even if it’s for the better.

“

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Martha Woodroof, 67, published her first novel, titled “Small Blessings,” in 2014.

Oprah.com calls the book “clear-hearted and effervescent.”

social gatherings for their “eccentric” group of friends, Martha says she and her sister, Ruth, were always invited to take part in meaningful discussions with guests.

“I enjoyed being engaged in real conversations, and not being treated like a pet,” she remarked. “I like to think!”

During one party, after a guest asked Martha what she wanted to do with her life, she remembers saying she hoped to get married and have children. Her unconventional father overheard, and was having none of it.

“He said, ‘Martha, that’s not something you do, that’s something that happens to you,’ ” she recalls, letting out a deep laugh.

Her progressive parents supported the Civil Rights movement, and when a then 13-year-old Martha took part in a sit-in at the local Woolworth’s drugstore, she did so with her family’s blessing.

Like her older sister, at age 16, Martha opted to attend One World School for Girls, an academically rigorous boarding school in Massachusetts.

After graduating, she attended Mount

Holyoke College for a year, before dropping out and moving to Houston.

Houston, she explains, had a vibrant arts scene. Plus, she was ready to leave the East Coast.

Roughly a year after arriving in the city, Martha met and married her first husband, and gave birth to her daughter, Lizzie.

“I loved having a kid; I just had no idea what I was doing,” she admits. “But we had a lot of fun!”

Motherhood, however, did not diminish her commitment to political activism, and Martha says she frequently took part in Vietnam War protests.

“The draft was still in effect and my entire generation was being asked to fight a war that didn’t have a clear reason for being fought,” she said, explaining why she felt pushed to act. “It seemed wrong.”

Acknowledging that she would fight back if someone attacked her daughter, Martha declines to call herself a pacifist,

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lishing a novel. And she already had a topic in mind: change.

Given her bubbly demeanor, some might find it surprising to learn of Martha’s struggle with depression, but back in her late 30s, her life was far from ideal.

By then, Martha was living in Virginia and had just divorced her second husband.

Adding that she felt “profoundly unsettled” with her career, she found herself sliding into a dark hole.

Martha, who says her relationship with alcohol has never been “completely normal,” started turning to pills and the bottle for solace.

As she was the type who binged at home, as opposed to Martha, host of “The Spark” on 90.7 WMRA, was named the “Best Radio Personality” in the 2014 Best of the Valley. In 2013, she tied for the spot with WSVA’s Jim Britt. heading out to a bar, she was able to keep her addiction under wraps for roughly five years. cooking at an artists’ colony, editing but says she’s “pretty close.”

Then one night, after drunkenly walking magazines, teaching preschool, selling “War ... doesn’t make a lot of sense to to her friends home and refusing to cars, freelancing for National Public me as a solution,” she mused. leave the doorstep, Martha was arrested Radio, serving as a psychiatric occupa‘She’s a risk taker’ for being drunk in public. tional therapy aide, writing books, coIt turned out to be a blessing in disguise. owning restaurants and running a coffee In the decades that followed, Martha Recalling the “horror” of being caged shop at a college bookstore.

— who admits she’s had a “haphazard” in a jail cell, Martha says she was forced One of Martha’s oldest friends, Judy career — tried her hand at well, almost to face the fact that she deserved to be Dilts — associate dean at James Madieverything. there. She came clean about her addicson University’s college of science and Like a child who teaches herself to mathematics — says she greatly admires tion with her family and friends, sought swim by jumping in the deep end and treatment and was able to put her life hoping for the best, Martha boasts a long her friend’s daring spirit. back together.

“She’s fearless; she’s unafraid to step history of boldly diving into new venAfter that experience, she became fasinto the unknown,” praises Dilts.

“She tures, sometimes with little preparation. cinated with the subject of change, and believes she can do things and she does “I’m not a studier,” she admits, exthe tendency of human beings to be plaining that she prefers to learn through them. She’s a risk taker.”

In Martha’s 60s, however, she realized frightened of it. experience.

“I believe that an awful lot of people there was still one more major item she Her résumé, which could go on for wanted to cross off her bucket list: pub- would rather stay unhappy than change,” pages, includes stints in drugstores,

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she remarked. “To change involves getting out of your comfort zone, even if it’s for the better.”

Her novel, “Small Blessings,” published in 2014 by St. Martins Press, boasts a colorful cast of characters, all of whom are confronted with change.

The primary characters are Tom, a kindly professor, and Rose, a warm freespirit, whose lives change forever when they meet in a bookstore.

Though the novel addresses some dark topics, such as death and addiction, the book has an overall lighthearted feel, and the main message is one of hope.

“I was hooked right away,” says Kate Garrick, Martha’s literary agent.

“The book opens on Tom laying eyes on Rose, a breath of fresh air in his otherwise not-so-fresh life, and in that first moment you understand so much about these people. I just couldn’t wait to find out how they’d affect each other’s lives and knew that other people would feel the same way. It turned out that I was right.”

As Garrick predicted, Small Blessings

has been a hit with readers and reviewers alike. Publishers Weekly complimented the novel’s “dark humor” and “strong characters,” while Oprah.com calls the book “clear-hearted and effervescent.”

“People have been very nice and generous,” the author modestly remarked, adding that the whole experience has been magically surreal.

However, in true Martha fashion, the praise that touched her the most wasn’t from a magazine; it’s a short email from a 90-year-old reader urging her to hurry and write a sequel.

Thinking that an elderly fan braved the Internet to contact her, said Martha, meant the world.

“It made my heart happy,” she admits, beaming.

As that fan was undoubtedly happy to hear, Martha is in the process of writing another novel, and though it’s not exactly a sequel, it will feature a few of the same characters.

Just don’t expect to find her typing it out at a crowded coffeehouse. She prefers to write in the morning at her peaceful countryside home, which she shares with her husband, Charlie

Woodroof, whom she married in 1992, and a sassy cat, named Little Kitty.

Embrace the change

While Martha is clearly a fan of embracing change, these days her life doesn’t seem to need much of it.

Explaining that that she’s more “boring” than most people think, she says her favorite thing to do lately is relax at home with Charlie, a man so awesome, he can reportedly make a routine trip to the grocery store fun.

“What I really look forward to is going home to Charlie, cooking dinner and [watching] British mysteries,” she confessed.

After years spent moving from town to town, the former tumbleweed adds she’s also grown attached to Harrisonburg, and has no current plans to leave.

“What I feel here is real roots,” she remarked. “I’m just really fond of this town.”

If, however, there are any unexpected changes or challenges in her future, don’t doubt for a second she’d survive the fall.

Martha Woodroof, it seems, has a feline-esque ability to land on her feet.

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ARTICLE BY HANNAH PITSTICK PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIKKI FOX

W

An American woman: age 10 hen Ella Somers grows up, she will live in North Carolina. She’ll be both a baker and a first grade teacher, so she can give goodies to her class.

Yes, she will be married. To whom, you ask? Well it depends, but she’s hoping it will be her kindergarten crush, whose name she won’t say. Her house will be huge; complete with both a hot tub and a pool with a slide and diving board. She wants to have at least three kids — two girls and one boy — and five pets: two dogs, one hamster, one ferret and a cheetah.

Here are the specifics about Ella: She is 10 years old, on the nose. She stands 4-feet-6-inches tall, weighs 60 pounds, and appears to be mostly leg and dimples. She is an attractive kid, a miniature of her mother with her dad’s eyes and smile. From her mom, she inherited her copper skin and long

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brown hair, and from her own mischievous nature comes a devious giggle triggered by anything from a giant Reese’s bar to a good prank.

While many of her fourth-grade classmates wear gym shorts and Tshirts, Ella’s decked out in floral skinny jeans, brown leather and lace boots, and a headband with a flower on top. She likes cheetah print and has been known to wear an entire outfit in the pattern.

Ella and her older brother, Blake, live with their mother, Brandy, in Broadway, for part of the week, and their father, Paul, in Harrisonburg, for the other part. Their Broadway home is a brick townhouse located in a sub-

division right behind Broadway High School, where Brandy works as an art teacher.

The town of Broadway has two stoplights and is surrounded by meadows and rolling hills dotted with cows — in other words, a far cry from places like San Antonio or South-Central Los Angeles, where very different 10-yearold girls are growing up today.

Ella attends Linville-Edom Elementary, a 100-year-old red brick building where the gym teacher, Mr. Tusing, has taught multiple generations, and stands outside the school each morning to greet students.

Ella is a good student. The other day, she informed her mom she wants to earn perfect attendance this year.

She plans to go to college, to a place she refers to as the ICE school — the Institute of Culinary Education. It’s located in New York, and she found it while searching for culinary arts schools on her iPad. Unfortunately, she and her best

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friend, Laura, are in different classes this year, but they do have recess together.

Ella’s teacher this year is Mr. Markham, a guy in his 30s who sports a beard, glasses and the sense of humor necessary to answer the same two questions countless times every day: Can I use the bathroom? Can I get a drink?

“I don’t know, can you?” he responds calmly each time.

Take one step inside the school and be hit with the smell of fingerpaint and the squeak of sneakers against a waxed floor. Every inch of wall space is covered with handmade art or inspirational posters: “To Realize your Dreams, Begin with Self-Esteem,” and “You are Responsible for You.” Mr. Markham chose “The Great Outdoors” as a theme for the classroom and brought in a few pieces of taxidermy, a fish tank and a camouflage tent he found in his basement to serve as a reading nook in the corner.

During reading time, Ella and three other students grab a book and run into the tent before it reaches capacity, immediately whispering and giggling.

Another student pulls his sweater over his head like a shroud and one kid sharpens his pencil with a pair of scissors, even though there’s a pencil sharpener two feet away.

No one can sit still.

Mr. Markham attempts to teach self-control with his five class rules: Rule 1: Follow directions quickly Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat Rule 4: Make smart choices Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy Whenever a student breaks a rule, he or she is handed a card, and is required to repeat the rule and associated hand motion for the first two minutes of recess. The punishment creates a comical scene of nine and 10-year-olds mumbling to themselves and flailing their hands about, then stopping abruptly once the time is up and bolting toward the playground.

During a class free-write, Mr. Markham asks the students to address a time when they were afraid.

Ella Somers, 10, boasts grand plans for her life as a grown up. She’ll live in North Carolina, where she’ll work full-time as a first grade teacher, part-time baker, so she can bring her class goodies.

“Would anyone like to share what they wrote?” He asks. “Ella?”

“I was hiking in the woods and I heard noises in the leaves,” Ella says.

“We didn’t know what it was, so my dad got a flashlight, and it was a bear.”

In addition to bears, Ella’s fears include snakes, voodoo dolls and Ebola.

She’s old enough to know people who have died and things about the world that are troublesome. She’s also old enough to imagine being an adult, but says the best thing about being grown up is that she’ll be able to buy candy

and sweets whenever she wants.

“I always want these powdered doughnuts, and Mom always says no,” she explains.

She’s getting to the point where she wants to act more mature, and tries to sneak eyeliner on some mornings.

Soon, she’ll have a half-sister, which she’s excited about. She imagines painting her little sister’s nails and giving her tips on what to wear.

“Say I have a boyfriend and she wants to get a guy’s attention,” Ella says. “I’ll know how to get a guy, so I

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could give her advice.”

In the lunchroom, fifth-graders sit on one side, fourth-graders on the other.

Though only a year apart, the difference between the two grades is noteworthy. On the fifth grade side, boys and girls sit together, and some of the girls seem to have already crossed the threshold into the era of boys over toys.

Most of the students get hot lunch.

Today it’s cheesy garlic bread, chili, salad, watermelon and milk, but Ella usually brings her own lunch: a mini bagel with cream cheese (Ella likes all things bagel-related), mini Oreos, strawberries, mineral water and a napkin with the words “I <3 you — Mom” written on it.

The boys and girls sit at separate tables, and Ella stakes out a seat that allows her to make eyes at her crush from across the room; or rather, he stares at her and she catches him.

When asked what the biggest issue in the world right now is, a girl with glasses blurts out, “That science test!

It was really hard!” When asked about

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her favorites, Ella offers the following answers.

“Who’s the best musician?”

“Ariana Grande.”

“The best TV show?”

“Cake Boss.”

“The best game?”

“The Sims.”

At the moment, the girls can’t stop cup clapping, a rhythmic game that involves tapping and hitting an upturned plastic cup, then flipping it over and slamming it onto the table. Over and over again.

Clap, clap, ba-da-boom, boom, boom, slam. Boom slam. Boom slam.

Take the cup away and they’ll resort to empty yogurt containers, erasers, even their fists. It’s a craze that was reignited by Anna Kendrick’s character from the movie “Pitch Perfect.”

The film came out in March 2013, and the sequel is expected this spring, but Brandy says elementary school kids are the last to pick up on trends.

High schoolers are totally in the know, and she often has to Google words to see if they’re inappropriate.

Brandy also compares elementary school to a time capsule. The girls know many of the same jokes, handshakes and insults that have been used by 10-year-olds for decades.

“What’s your name?”

“Ella.”

“What color is the sky?”

“Blue.”

“What’s the opposite of down?”

“Up.” “You just said ‘ELLA BLEW UP!’” When the school bell rings at the end of the day, Ella makes her way down to the gym, where students wait for their parents.

“Usually, if your mom or dad isn’t here for a while then you go to the office and you wait there, and there’s candy,” Ella says.

“Yeah, she takes advantage of that for sure,” a boy named Elijah chimes in.

Following an after-school snack, Ella pulls out her iPad and starts playing “The Sims.”

She named her main character “Santhemum” because Chrysanthemum was too long. She’s currently trying to

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arrange a marriage between Santhemum and a guy in the game, but she keeps turning down his proposals.

“I don’t really cheat that much,” she says.

“But I do know one cheat … ” She changes the game’s language to French and back to English, and the couple appears in their swimsuits.

“Ella!” Brandy says in disapproval.

“They’re not naked!” Ella responds.

“They’re still in bikinis.”

Today, parents like Ella’s face a whole new challenge that their own never did: the Internet. Many elementary students use their own iPads or have access to a computer where they can find all of the world’s information, both good and bad. Ella says her class has already had an Internet safety lesson, during which a speaker came in and told them about the dark side of the web.

“The speaker said, ‘Say there’s a man named Chester and he has a picture of you on his desktop and he thinks you’re cute … ” “So I said, ‘Not anymore,’ ” Ella

Ella Somers and her friend, Lily Gatesman, sit in P.E. class at Linville-Edom Elementary School. The girls are two of millions of American women who will someday leave their marks on the world, but for now, the girls are content to trade the jokes, handshakes and fun 10-year-olds have for decades.

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jokes as she makes an ugly face.

On the first Friday of the month, Brandy and the kids partake in what she jokingly refers to as First Friday Dinner, when she doesn’t cook and they instead snack at all the art shows around downtown Harrisonburg.

The first stop is Spitzer Art Center, where both Brandy and Paul often display art. After filling their plates with food, Blake and Ella find a spot on the front porch. Blake tries to jump off the porch and over a bush, but falls, sending Ella into a fit of giggles.

“Are you OK?” She asks between breaths. “I’ve just never seen him fall before.”

Ella picks up her empty cup and starts drumming on it until Blake flattens it with his foot.

“Have fun playing cups with that,” he says.

On Ella’s bedroom door, a sign hangs, reading: “Ella’s room, no trespassing.”

Knock and she’ll demand, “Who is it?” but then let you in with a giggle.

Her room is painted beige with

woodland animal decals on the walls, and was decorated by her mom when Ella was in the first grade. In the corner is a three-story Barbie house with two dolls in various stages of undress hanging off the top floor.

Peaches the beta fish floats around in an Erlenmeyer flask of water set precariously on a stack of books on the dresser.

Splayed across the floor are Ella’s two “kids” Reaga and Dallas, dolls she says are one year apart and sport matching jagged haircuts, compliments of her 8year-old self.

Her best friends, Laura and Lexi, and her younger cousin, Mirra, are over on a Saturday morning for Ella’s 10th birthday party. Her gifts include “1989,” Taylor Swifts’ latest album, which happens to be the best-selling record of 2014.

Immediately after opening her gifts, the three run upstairs to play the CD in Ella’s room.

Mirra and Ella could talk about elves for hours. Both have Elf on the Shelf at their homes. Ella and Blake’s elves are named Mint and Buddy, a girl and a boy.

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and ears — watching children and reporting back to the North Pole with information on good or bad behavior.

And they tend to get into a fair amount of mischief themselves.

Mirra: “One time, my elf shaved my daddy’s hair and did his makeup.”

As Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” starts playing, Ella perks up.

Ella: “This is my favorite song.”

Mirra: “I like “Shake it Off ’ ” “Oh my God, look at your face, you look like my next mistake,” Mirra sings along with exaggerated facial expressions.

“Shake it Off ” plays in the background as Ella and Mirra pull up a YouTube video of an Elf on the Shelf caught moving on camera.

Ella: “That’s fake, I know they’re moving it … oh, that’s real — that’s how they walk!”

Mirra: “They’re real! They’re real!”

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Hiding no longer your VIEWPOINT hen I

found out I was

pregnant, I remember feeling overwhelmed by questions: Where would I give birth?

Did we want to know the

gender? What would be his or her name?

One question I didn’t have to con-

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ARTICLE BY SARAH FEATHERSTONE COURTESY PHOTOS

A mother shares her struggle template, though, was whether I would breastfeed.

Maybe it’s because I was breastfed, or because I was aware of the long list of benefits for both mother and baby, but I have always seen nursing as natural. Somehow, I was sure that something so natural would be easy.

My son was born on an early spring morning at a birth center. In the first moments with him, he latched onto the breast quickly. I remember feeling so connected, so in love — and thinking that there was nothing that had ever felt so organically beautiful.

It filled me with joy to finally be experiencing such a deep and mutual connection with someone I had met mere minutes before.

One of the birthing assistants made a comment about how easily my son took to nursing — what I hoped was a sign of our breastfeeding relationship.

But I was soon confronted with the fear that nursing wasn’t for me. My son was no longer latching well, and we struggled to find nursing positions that were comfortable for both of us.

I remember crying regularly at 2:00 in the morning when he was screaming out of hunger but couldn’t seem to latch. My nipples were so sore and cracked that I dreaded the next feeding session. Nothing about breastfeeding felt natural.

As a new mother struggling with this new process, I felt uncomfortable nursing in front of others, so I often

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hid away in another room whenever we had company.

I’d sink into our rocking chair, trying to soothe my son — and myself — enough to make the next feeding possible. I’d sit there, quietly watching my son nurse, and think about how alone I felt.

Because I was uncomfortable and uncertain about breastfeeding but didn’t want to admit that nursing didn’t come easily for me, I felt isolated.

I didn’t want to admit that I felt like I was struggling as a mother.

In this time of social media, it’s easy to get lost in a barrage of joyful, carefree stories of motherhood. I, too, am guilty of posting photographs of my son, smiling and joyful. What people don’t see is the breakdown that happens two minutes after the picture is taken. What I didn’t share was the heartache and tears when I was felt so uncertain about breastfeeding. I suffered silently during those first few weeks, and refused to reach out for help beyond a few trusted ears.

“

... It’s easy to get lost in a barrage of joyful, carefree stories of motherhood. ... What people don’t see is the breakdown that happens two minutes after the picture is taken.

What I didn’t share was the heartache and tears when I felt so uncertain about breastfeeding.

I read during my pregnancy to give breastfeeding at least a month before giving up. These words were something I clung to during those first few weeks, and slowly, after time and practice, breastfeeding did become easier. It even started to be something I enjoyed, a process by which I felt empowered.

When I started to feel more comfortable with breastfeeding, I wanted to be open with the fact that I was a nursing mother. I didn’t want to hide away upstairs in my room, or excuse myself while out shopping and

“

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run to the car.

So, I started to nurse in public: on the street bench, in the middle of a restaurant during dinner, while gathered around family and friends.

If I truly believe that nursing is so

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natural and beautiful, why should I hide? Only by sharing this experience and being open could I support and encourage other mothers who were experiencing this same journey. As I became more public with breastfeeding, I felt more confident.

But I wish I had been more open about the hardships, too. I wish I had shared my struggles and asked for help. I wish I had joined a group of breastfeeding mothers, like the La Leche League my midwife mentioned. I wish all mothers felt more comfortable being vulnerable, more comfortable sharing their difficulties with breastfeeding.

My son is almost 10 months old now, and our breastfeeding relationship is still going strong. I now cherish those moments in which I’m forced to sit down, shut

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up and let myself just breath as he gently nurses.

It’s a relationship I’m proud of, and one I had to work for. And though I suffered through sore breasts and sleepless nights, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

I hope the conversation around breastfeeding continues to be one of support and encouragement for nursing mothers. I hope that mothers are given the appropriate information about the benefits of breastfeeding and the support they need to work through the problems that often arise.

And I hope sharing my experience encourages other mothers to be open about their own joys and hardships of breastfeeding, so that together we can build an open, honest community.

Sarah Featherstone nurses her 10-month-old son, Rowan, at their home in Staunton. Though he initially latched without incident, Sarah admits the first weeks of breastfeeding posed a challenge.

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For More Information We would LOVE to help your business Contact bloom in 2015. Reach over 10,000 women in our community, through advertising in Kim Roberson Bloom Magazine. This publication features 540-574-6224 stories and columns by local experts kroberson@dnronline.com on topics related to women of all ages, backgrounds and positions in life.

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Bloom

Winter 2015

2015WinterBloom:

1/19/2015

1:33 PM

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If you are like thousands of other individuals who are missing one or more teeth, then maybe getting a grip and sinking your teeth into an apple or a bagel is something you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done for quiet a while.

Well welcome to the 21st Century.

Dental Implants can change all of that. They are used to replace one or more teeth, support bridges and anchor dentures. In addition to restoring function, they can also boost your confidence levels because now you can flash that smile you had twenty years ago.

If you are ready to make the move and would like more information on Dental Implants, either contact your Family Dentist, call our office or feel free to visit our website at www.whitneysurgery.com

2015WinterBloom:

1/19/2015

1:33 PM

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